Apparatus for the manufacture of sulfuric acid.



O. PROELSS. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULFURIO ACID. APPLIOATIONFILED MAR. 28, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

attorney-o 0. PROELSS. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE or SULPURIG ACID.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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51mm :4 l'oz Wmaqoei OTTO PnoELss, or KANSAS CITY, mssouar.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULFUBIC ACID.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 11, 1911,

Original applications filed May 10, 1907, Serial No. 372,980, andDecember 11, 1908, Serial No. 467,087.

' Divided and this application filed March 28, 1910. Serial No. 552,082.

' zen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county ofJackson, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of'Sulfuric Acid, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for making and concentratingsulfuric acid and is, so far as the invention illustrated in Fi ure 1 isconcerned, a division of my ear ier application No. 467,087,tiled'Deoember 11, 1908, which application has now become Patent No.963,175, dated July 5, 1910; and so far as the invention illustrated inFig. 2 is concerned, a division of my prior application No. 372,980,filed May 10, 1907, which application has now become Patent No. 963,174,dated July '5, 1910, which patents claim the processes of making andconcentrating sulfuric acid shown herein.

Many attempts have been made to produce sulfuric acid. of a strength of66 Be. without the employment of an undue amount of labor and material,by the use of an ordinary sulfuric acid chamber and tower plant, butsuch attempts, so far as I am aware,

have not resulted in such a saving of either labor or material as torender the processes and means employed desirable.

One of the objects of this invention is to construct an apparatus inwhich the acid may be highly concentrated.

- Another object is to devise the apparatus so that the lead chamberswill not be damaged.

Another object is to provide means whereby the impurities are removedfromthe acid.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description. 1

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view showing one form ofthis invention; Fig. 2 is an other form of apparatus embodying some ofthe features of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus consists of three chambers X, X, X,which may be in independent towers, as shown in the drawings, or withina single structure in which they are separated by suitable partitions.and in said chambers are arranged in any manner which may be found mostsuitable masses of refractory material, as for instance chemical brick,the arrangement corresponding to such as is usually employed in what areknown as Glover towers. Two of the chambers X, X are practicallyidentical in their characteristics, and both of these chamberscommunicate through suitable conduits or pipes D with what I is hereintermed the intermediate chamber X each ofthe said conduits beingprovided with a regulating valve D. By means of suitable bondingmaterial the lining of both of the chambers X, X may be arranged in sucha manner that neither hot concentrated acid nor the hot gases will beable to destroy the lining. For convenience I term the chambers X, X,the concentrating chambers, or chambers of the concentrating means, andthe chamber X the intermediate or mixing and cooling chamber withouthowever intending to limit. the construction to any particulararrangement of the chambers except such as will permit gases from eitheror both of the chambers X, X to be carried to the other chamber. Each ofthe concentrating chambers is provided with means whereby it may besupplied with burner gases, or sulfur dioxid,

from burners, roasting furnaces, etc, which may be mixed with nitrogenperoxid in the usual way. As shown each of the said chambers has aninlet pipe E near the lower end, and the chamber X has an outlet pipe E,at thelower end; such pipe may communicate with a suitable exhaust fanlike F shown in Fig. 52, that will propel the gases to the usual leadchambers. Means are provided whereby either of the concentratingchambers may be supplied with a nitrating material and with a weak acid,such supply being conducted alternately to the said chambers, and meansare also provided whereby the liquid flowing from either chamber wheredenitration is eiiected is conducted to the top of the other chamber,which in such' case constitutes the high concentration chamber, andmeans are also provided for supplying the intermediate chamber with acold, weak acid solution, and the liquid from this chamber may beconducted upward by suitable means and mixed with the nitrating mediumflowing to either of the concentrating chambers. In the apparatus shownin Fig. 1, there are three tanks T, T T arranged at suitable elevationsabove all of trating chambers, said distributers having spray openingsso as to discharge the liquid in fine jets into the chambers below. An-

" other tank, as the tank T is supplied,

a branch 12, leading through the Ripe Gandthrough the medium of the pumpwith liquor from a tank T and distributes the said liquor through pipes8, 8, provided with cocks or valves 9, 9, to the distributers J, whilethe remaining tank T receives a weak acid, or chamber acid, either-through a supply pipe 10 or through a from a pipe 13, into which liquorpassing from the discharge pipe 14 of the intermediate chamber is pumpedby means of a pumpP, said pipe 13 also passing to the tank T, andbetween the discharge pipe 14: and the pump P may be arranged a cooler cand a reservoir or tank T. The discharged liquor from each of theconcentrating chambers flows through a pipe or conduit 16, and may passdirectly or through a cooler c and pipe 17 to a tank T", and the pump Pserves to withdraw the liquid from the tank T and pass it on through apipe 19 to suitable storage tanks. The pipes 17 are also provided withbranches 20 leading to the tank T Thetank T may discharge its contentsinto-a dlstributer K, which is above the chamber X and dis charges intothe latter.

In the operation of the above described apparatus both of the"concentrating chambers receive burner gaseswhich pass throu h the same,and one of the chambers X,

is fed with a mixture of' weak acid andnitrous vitriol at such arate-regulated by one of the valves 5 that the acid will be dischargedat the bottom'at the usual strength (60 to 62 Be.) The liquid isdischarged from this chamber to tank Tv and is then elevated through thepipe 6 to the tank T and a portion thereof is discharged through one ofthe pipes 8 and distributer'J into the other chamber where it isconcentrated, the action being so regulated that theacid shall beconcentrated to 66 B., or to an de-' sired greater strength above thatwhich is supplied to this chamber. To obtain this concentrated acid freefrom nitrogencompounds no nitrating material inany shape must beadmitted to the chamber used for high concentration, the denitrationbeing performed wholly in the other chamber. Therefore the burner gasflue leading to the chamber in which the concentration process is thenperformed is not supplied with nitrogen oxids. This may be accomplishedin various ways, for instance, by shutting ofi' the niter ovens throughwhich the burner gases pass or cutting off the supply of the materialand discharged therefrom may be pumped by the pump P into either thetank T, to be used in connection with the nitrous vitriol in thede-nitrating chamber, or into the tank T to be again employed in theintermediate chamber. a

It will be noted that due to the high concentration ofthe acid in thetower of chamber which performs the function of the concentratingchamber the gases issuing therefrom will be very hot, while the gasesissuing from the tower or chamber which performs the function of thede-nitrating apparatus will not be at such a high temperature. It is forthe purpose of cooling down the hot gases issuing from the concentratingchamber that the tower orchamber X is provided. In this tower the hotgases from the concentrating chamber will thoroughly mix with the gasesfrom the de-nitrating chamber and the mixture is still further cooleddown by the cool,weak acid percolating down the chamber X. The chamber Xtherefore performs the function of a cooling apparatus. It is mucheasier to construct the lining of this chamber so as to resist the hightemperatures and the strong acid than it is to provide the lead chamberswhich are of very large area in such a manner. The

lining in X, and X and X is a special acid and heat resisting lining,and therefore will not be attacked by the hot gases and the strong acid,these hot gases being reduced in temperature before they enter the leadchambers so that no injurywill result to the lining of these leadchambers. seen that this process splits the available burner gases intotwo parts, one which is used to de-nitrate the nitrous vitriol andconcentrate the weak sulfuric acid formed in the chambers, and the otherpart o f the burner gases is used to effect a further concentration'ofthe 60 to 62 B. sulfuric acid thus produced. The gases resulting fromthe two parallel operations are then brought together and mixed in asubsequent intermediate tower or chamber before being admitted to thelead towers. The above described operations .may be performedal-ternately"with the two chambers X, X either of them acting as adenitratiug chamber at the time that theother acts as a highconcentrating chamber, and the liquid from each of the said chambers aswell as that from the intermediate chamchambers and the Gay Lussac Itwill therefore be ber X is cooled by means of the coolers c a so as tobe reduced to the proper working temperature.

In the manufacture of sulfuric acid it has been found that the principalimpurities, especially iron, which are absorbed by the sulfuric acidcirculating in the concentrating chambers will be separated anddeposited in the said chambers as-solid particles if the concentrationis carried above approximately 64 Baum. This deposit of the impuritieswill in timeresult in so clogging and obstructing the interstices of thematerial in the said chambers as to interfere with or prevent furtheroperations, but it has been found that if a weaker solution is passedthrough the chamber in which such deposit has occurred the impuritieswill again be taken up and the chamber thereby cleansed or freed fromobstructions.

It will be seen that by first concent 'ating the acid to a sufiicientlyhigh degree to insure the deposit of the impurities, and thendiscontinuing the high concentration in the chamber Where such depositoccurs and bringing the weak acid into'contact with said impurities, Iam enabled to remove the deposit and restore the said chamber to itsoriginal effective condition while the deposit is taking place in theother chamber, from which it is then removed in like manner, and by thusalternating the action in the two chambers the desired concentration maybe effected with a minimum expenditure of time and labor, all of thechambers being continuously in effective operation.

By means of the valves I) the supply of the burner gases to the chambersX, X can be closely regulated. since the gases are drawn in by thesuction fan shown more clearly in Fig. 2. By regulating the supply ofthe hot burner gases the concentration in the chamber which performs thefunction of a concentrating apparatus may be closely regulated. In thesame manner the supply of burner gases passing through the de nitratingchamber may also be closely regulated. In the; operation of the processthe supply of gases to the denitrating apparatus is cut down by one ofthe valves 1), while the other valve 1) is opened so as to permitgreater volume of hot. gases to pass through the concentrating apparatusand therefore permit greater concentration. It will there fore be seenthat, when one of the chambers X or X is converted from a concentratingapparatus to a denitrating apparatus, the supply of burner gases isreduced so as to cut down the" concentration and therefore permit thenitrous liquid and the weak acid to dissolve the impurities during thedenitrating operation of said chamber.

By the employment of the intermediate chamber the warm gases from thedemtrating means and the hot gases from the high concentrating means aremingled together and their temperature reduced. and a further reductionis effected by the supply of cold weak acid, a certain amount ofconcentration being effected also in the saidintermediate chamber.

Fig. 2 shows the towers X and X as combined into a single structure. Theoperation of this aiparatus will of course be very similar to that shownin Fig. 1 and some partsdiave been similarly lettered. In thisapparatus, however, the acid supply is not shifted from'X to X but Xalways performs the function of the denitrating chamber, while fperforms the function of a concentrating chamber. In this construct-ionthe lead chambers are shown diagrammatically and indicated by thereference character H.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from this invention, and it is,therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited tothe specific construction shown and described.

The process described in this application is not claimed herein, but isclaimed in my Patents Nos. 963,174 and 963,175, granted July 5, 1910,which correspond respectively to applications Serial Nos. 372,980 and467,087, hereinbefore referred to.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed is: v

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, incombination, a denitrating chamber, a concentrating chamber and acooling apparatus, burner gas supply conduits connected to saidchambers. means for discharging said gases from said chambers into saidcooling apparatus and mixing them therein, and lead chambers arranged toreceive the gases from said cooling apparatus.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, incombination, a denitrating chamber, a concentrating chamber and acooling chamber, burner gas sup ply conduits connected to saiddenitrating and concentrating chambers, means for discharging said gasesfrom said chambers into ber and a cooling chamber, burner gas sup- 125ply conduits connected to said denitrating and concentrating chambers,means for discharging said gases from said chambers into said coolingchamber, means for supplying weak acid to said cooling chamber, leadchambers arranged to receive the gases from 11. In an .apparatus formanufacturing said cooling chamber, and means for conducting the diluteliquor from the cooling chamber into the denitrating chamber.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, incombination, a denitrating chamber, a concentrating chamber and acooling apparatus, burner gas supply conduits connected to saidchambers, means for discharging said gases from said chambers into saidcooling apparatus, lead chambers arranged to receive the gases from saidcooling apparatus, means for conducting the denitrated liquor from thedenitrating chamber into the concentrating chamber, and means' forconducting the dilute-liquor from the cooling chamber into 1 thedenitrating chamber.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a concentrating tower, of a plurality of acid supplies,means for connecting either of said supplies to said tower, me us forsupplying said tower with hot gases, and means for regulating the.supply of said gases to said tower so as to. regulate the concentration.

6. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with-a concentratin tower, of a plurality of acid supplies,con uits' between said supplies and said tower, regulating valves insaid conduits, means for supplying said tower with hot gases, and meansfor regulating said gas supply.

7. In .an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric .acid, thecombination with a lurality of concentrating towers, of

a plum ity of acid supplies, means for connecting each of said towerswith either of saidsupplies, and means for supplying said towers withhot gases.

8. In an ap aratus for manufacturing concentrated su furic acid, thecombination with a plurality of concentrating towers, of a plurality ofacid supplies, conduits connecting each of said supplies with each ofsaid towers, valves in said conduits, and means for supplying saidtowers with hot gases.

9. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of concentrating towers, of a plurality ofacid supplies, means for connecting each of said towers with either ofsaid supplies, means for supplying said towers with hot gases, and meansfor regulating the supply of said gases.

10. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of concentrating towers, of strong and weakacid supplies, means for connecting either of said towers to either ofsaid supplies, and means for supplying hot gases to said towers.

of said supplies, and means for supplyinghot gases to said towers.

12. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of concentrating towers, of strong and weakacid supplies, conduits for connecting said. supplies to said towers,valves in said conduits, a main discharge tank, conduits connecting eachof said towers to both said strong acid supply and said main dischar etank, valves in said conduits, and means or supplying hot gases to saidtowers.

13. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination witha plurality of towers, of a plurality of supplies, onefor strong acid-and the other for nitrous liquor, means for connectingeither supply with either of said towers, and means for supplying hotburner gases to said towers.

14. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of a plurality of supplies,one-for strong acid and the other .for nitrous liquor, means forconnecting either supply with either of said towers, means for supplyinghot burner gases to said towers, and means for discharging thedlscharged acid of either tower into the strong acid supply.

15. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of a plurality of supplies, onefor strong acid and the other for nitrous liquor, means for connectingeither supply with either of said towers, means for supplying hot burnergases to said towers, and means for regulating the supply of the burnergases so as to regulate the concentration.

16. In an. apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of a plurality of suppl es, onefor strong acid and the other for n trous liquor, conduits connectingeach of said supplies with each of said towers, valves n said conduits,discharge conduits connecting said towers with said strong acid supply,and means for supplying hot burner gases to said towers.

17. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of conduitsfor supplying each ofsaid towers with strong ac d and nitrous liquor, valves in saidconduits, means for supplying hot burnergases to sa1d towers, a coohngtower, means for discharging the gases from said towers into saidcooling tower, and lead chambers connected to said cooling tower.

18. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of conduits for supplying eachof said towers with strong acid and nitrous liquor, valvesin said conduits, means for supplying hot burner gases to said towers, a coolingtower, conduits for discharging the gases from said towers into saidcooling tower, regulating valves in said conduits, and lead chambersconnected to said cooling tower.

19. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of conduits for supplying eachof said towers with strong acid and nitrous liquor, valves in saidconduits, means for supplying hot burner gases to said towers, a coolingtower, means for discharging the gases from said towers into saidcooling tower, means for supplying weak acid to said cooling tower, andlead chambers connected to said cooling tower.

20. In an apparatus for manufacturing concentrated sulfuric acid, thecombination with a plurality of towers, of a plurality of supplies, onefor strong acid and the other for nitrous liquor, means for connectingeither supply with. either of said towers, means for supplying hotburner gases to said towers, a cooling tower, means for discharging thegases from said towers into said cooling tower, means for supplying weakacid to said cooling tower, and means for discharging the acid from saidcooling tower into the nitrous liquor supply,

21. The combination of a structure'having two independent similarconcentrating chambers, means for conducting weak acid and a nitratingsolution to the chambers alternately, and means for conducting theconcentrated solution resulting from the denitratin operations in eitherchamber to the top 0 the other chamber. 1

22. The combination of a structure having two independent similarconcentrating cham-' bers, means for conductmg burner gases to and fromeach chamber, means for conduct ing weak acid and a nitrating solutionto the chambers alternately, means for conducting the concentratedsolution resulting from the denitrating operations in either chamber tothe top of;the other chamber, and means for mixing to ether the gasespassing simultaneously rom both chambers and for subjecting them to theaction of a cool weak acid solution.

23. The combination in an apparatus for manufacturing and concentratingsulfuric acid, of two similar concentrating means, means for supplyingeach with burner gases,

' a reservoir for nitrous vitriol,,a reservoir for weak acid, conductorsprovided with valves between each reservoir to the two concentratingmeans, a reservoir connected to receive the discharge liquid from bothcon centrating means, and means for conducting the contents of the lastnamed reservoir to the reservoir for weak acid.

2-}. The combination in an apparatus for making andconcentratingsulfuric acid, of two independent concentrating chambers, a vitrioltank. a wea 5 acid tank, independent conduits provided with valvesbetween each tank and each chamber, a discharge conduit from eachchamber, a tank arranged to receive the liquor from both conduits, andmeans for conducting the liquor from the last named tank to the weakacid tank.

The combination in an apparatus for making and concentrating sulfuricacid, of two independent concentrating chambers, a vitriol tank, a weakacid tank, independent conduits provided with valves between each tankand each chamber, a coolerfor cooling the liquor discharged from eachchamber, a tank connected to receive the discharge from each cooler, andmeans for conducting the liquor from the last named tank to the weakacid tank.

26. An apparatus having two concentratingchambers, means for admittingsulfuric acid to each and for supplying themalternately with nitrousliquor, and means for conducting the liquor passing from either chamberto the top of-the other.

27. An apparatus having two concentrating chambers, means for admittingsulfuric acid to each and for supplying them alternately with nitrousliquor, means for conducting the liquor passing from either chamber tothe top of the other, a third chamber connected to receive the gasesfrom the other chambers, and means for supplying chamber acid to saidthird chamber.

28. An apparatus having two concentrating chambers, means for admittingsulfuric acid to each and for supplying them alternately with nitrousliquor. means for conducting the liquor from either chamber to the topof the other, a third chamber connected to receive the gases from theother chambers, means for supplying chamber acid to said third chamber,a tank receiving the liquid passing from the third chamber, and meansfor conducting the said liquid to either of the said three chambers.

29. An apparatus having two concentrating chambers, means for admittingsulfuric acid to each and for supplying them alternately with nitrousliquor, a third chamber, means for conducting the gases passing fromeither concentrating chamber to the third chamber, means for supplyingchamber acid to said third chamber, a cooler and a tank receiving theliquid passing from the third chamber, and means for conducting the saidliquid to either of the said three chambers.

, 30. The combination in an apparatus of nat'ely, and'means forconducting the liquor 0 the character described, of two concentratingchambers, an intermediate chamber, inlets for supplying burner gases toeachconflowing from either concentrating chamber to the top of theother.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature centrating chamber, conduitsprovided with in presence of two witnesses.

valves between the concentrating chambers and the intermediate chamber,means for supplying weak acid and denitrating material'to theconcentrating chambersalten'l OTTO PROELSS. Witnesses:

B. D. ROWE, J OHN ADAMS.

